Samantha Bee Called Out Liberals for Being Great at Protesting but Pretty Terrible at Actually Voting

Samantha Bee Called Out Liberals for Being Great at Protesting but Pretty Terrible at Actually Voting

The word resist has poured from the lips of liberals since the presidential election, as Samantha Bee pointed out on the latest episode of Full Frontal. And protesters have turned out in droves across the country to march against the Trump administration, breaking records and stirring up righteous anger. But unfortunately, the one arena where Democrats have failed to show up in any meaningful way is probably the most crucial one of all: the voting booth.

Bee called out resisters for their overall dismal showings in recent local elections, citing the roughly 12 percent of voters who turned out for the mayoral race in Los Angeles where Democrat Eric Garcetti was re-elected. (“Maybe they didn’t get the memo because it wasn’t pinned on a beautiful celebrity’s pelvic bone,” she cracked.) And in the Louisiana runoff election for the U.S. Senate seat, where Republican John Kennedy won, only 29 percent of the state turned out to vote. (“The other 71 percent of you better have been at a jazz funeral.”)

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Considering we’re just under two months into Trump’s presidency, this apathy for current elections does not bode well for Democrats hoping to put the U.S. back on the right track in 2018 and 2020. If the election of a misogynist, xenophobe, racist, and homophobe wasn’t enough to get progressives to pay attention and effect change on a smaller scale—and not just hold up signs and share hashtags—then what will? Said Bee, “For all their passion, earnestness, and mad crafting skills, Democrats suck at voting, especially when it counts the most.”

Aisha Harris is a Slate culture writer and host of the Slate podcast Represent.